Social networks and the cognitive motivation to realise network opportunities: a study of managers' information gathering behaviors

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Marc Howard
dc.date.accessioned2009-02-01T19:53:17Z
dc.date.available2009-02-01T19:53:17Z
dc.date.issued2007
dc.description.abstractInformation gathering is central to a variety of organizational behavior theories, but researchers have suggested that our understanding of the actual information gathering behaviors of managers is underdeveloped. Social network characteristics are theorized to be a key determinant of information gathering behaviors, but social network research has been criticized for: (1) not measuring the intervening mechanisms by which network characteristics are theorized to have their effects and (2) not considering how actors' motivation affects what network benefits are realized. This article addresses these concerns through an empirical study of the actual information gathering behaviors of managers. It posits that individual differences in a personality variable called need for cognition capture differences in actors' cognitive motivation to realize the potential information benefits that exist in their social networks. Results show that network characteristics do affect information benefits, but these effects are stronger for managers motivated to take advantage of them. These findings both support social capital theory and suggest the important role that personality can play in augmenting social network analyses. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.en
dc.identifier.citationAnderson, M. (2007). Social networks and the cognitive motivation to realise network opportunities: a study of managers' information gathering behaviours. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(1), 51-78.en
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/job.459en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/1954
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherJohn Wiley and Sonsen
dc.relation.isPartOfJournal of Organizational Behavioren_NZ
dc.relation.urihttp://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/114262138/abstracten
dc.subjectinformation gatheren
dc.subjectsocial networksen
dc.titleSocial networks and the cognitive motivation to realise network opportunities: a study of managers' information gathering behaviorsen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
pubs.begin-page51en_NZ
pubs.elements-id32700
pubs.end-page78en_NZ
pubs.issue1en_NZ
pubs.volume29en_NZ
Files
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.79 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Name: license.txt
Size: 1.79 KB
Kind: License
Collections
Management Papers